Knights dads excited to spend ‘special’ Christmas with their kids

Wesley Theodore is 3 months old. The grandeur of Christmas won’t impact him for, at least, a few more years.

That just means it’s an exciting time for Shea Theodore and his wife Mariana.

The final quarter of 2024 has been a memorable one for the Golden Knights defenseman, between his son being born, his seven-year extension with the Knights and his spot on Team Canada for the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

The calendar year will be capped off with the Theodore family getting to enjoy Christmas with Wesley for the first time. Even if Wesley isn’t fully aware of what’s taking place yet, Theodore is excited to experience the holidays as a new dad.

“It’s pretty chill and relaxed,” Theodore said. “Definitely going to be special, though. We took some cool Christmas photos with him and the dogs. It’s pretty cute, honestly.”

Growing families

Many of the Knights’ players got to experience Christmas as dads for the first time last season and are about to go through it again.

Left wing Brett Howden and his wife Meike welcomed their son Charlie into the world on April 13, 2023, right before the Knights began their run to the Stanley Cup. Their second baby is set to arrive in 2025.

Center William Karlsson and wife Emily had their second son, Maxwell, on Nov. 25. That gave 1-year-old Beckham a little brother for Christmas.

All of the kids are still young enough that Santa Claus may scare them, but their parents still love this time of year.

“Last year, (Charlie) didn’t really know what was going on,” Howden said. “He still doesn’t understand the concept of what’s going on. He just sees that he gets to open presents, so he gets excited.”

The Karlssons still haven’t started many Christmas traditions with their two boys. William Karlsson, a Marsta, Sweden, native, said he’ll have some Swedish food he’ll want to share at some point, but for now it’s all about the joy of the season.

“Definitely makes it more special,” Karlsson said. “Because you remember the excitement from when you were a kid. It’s going to be fun to see my kids grow up and share that same excitement.”

Welcome break

The holidays come at a great time for the Knights.

They won their fourth straight game Monday, 3-1 over the Anaheim Ducks, to head into the NHL’s three-day break with a five-point cushion atop the Pacific Division.

The Knights will return to the ice Friday against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center looking for their fifth straight win.

Most of the players will be spending this break relaxing after a grueling month’s worth of games. There won’t be many crowded households, but rather quiet time with immediate family.

That’s part of what Theodore will enjoy, as he goes through what Karlsson and Howden went through last year.

“It’s cool just being around (Wesley), kind of watching the progress and seeing all the photos of how big he’s gotten and the strides he’s making,” Theodore said. “It’s definitely a cool couple of days we’ll get here.”

Howden and his wife have plenty of nieces and nephews a few years older than Charlie, which excites them for the future. Even seeing all the kids on the Knights get excited for Christmas is creating a fun environment for everyone involved.

Next Christmas will be even more exciting with Charlie having a little brother or sister.

“To see how excited they are, I feel like each year, it’s going to get better and better,” Howden said.

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.